Hip Hop

Kanye West Honors Kobe Bryant At Sunday Service With Chance The Rapper, Kirk Franklin

Kanye West
Kanye West

Kanye West is paying his respects to Kobe Bryant after his tragic death.

The world has been shaken by the death of basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others after a tragic helicopter crash on Sunday. There has been an enormous outpouring of love and support for the family from celebrities who were fans of Kobe, and some that even considered him a friend. Kanye West turned to his faith and his Sunday Service performance to deal with the horrifying news, posting a picture of himself alongside Kobe with the caption, “Kobe, we love you brother. We’re praying for your family and appreciate the life you’ve lived and all the inspiration you gave.”

Kanye held a special midnight Sunday Service with performances from Kirk Franklin and Chance The Rapper to pay tribute to the fallen legend. In video clips of the event, Chance can be seen choking back tears as he performs a few verses from “Ultralight Beam” for a crowd that shouts words of comfort and encouragement. Kirk Franklin can be seen talking about how to deal with terrible events that don’t seem to make any sense, and letting listeners know that it is okay to ask God, “Why?”. Kanye West freestyled through his pain at the service, rapping, “I was driving home/They was leaving your jersey on the freeway/And I just broke down, broke down, broke down.”

Kanye West and Kobe Bryant have built a relationship over the years and Ye was even spotted at Kobe’s final NBA game before he retired in 2016. The two appeared in a commercial together that fans have been circulating as one of their favorite Kobe moments since his passing.

Kobe Bryant was only 41-years-old when he lost his life in the crash that also killed his teenage daughter, Gianna, and seven others on their way to a basketball camp in Calabasas, Calif. The 62nd annual Grammy Awards, which took place later that night in the Staples Center, the same arena where Kobe spent his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, featured several artists dedicating their performances to the terrible loss. The cause of the crash is still unclear, and the FAA is currently investigating although reports have surfaced that dense fog played a factor.